Improved still for turpentine and other substances



' Improvement in Stills;

I ing spirits ROBERT vv. LAMB, OFWILMI To HIMsELF AND A."PA UL RE N G'TON; NORTH C AR'OLI'NA, ASsdIGNoR PITON, JR., 0E SAME PLACE.

. v12mm' raam No. 89,051', ma Apre y2o, 1869.4

IIIPROVED STILI'FOR AND OTHER SUBSTANCES.

mstmmmdmmmwnem-Pamnnammngpmmm To all; whom it ma/y concern.-

Beit known that I, ROBERT W. LAMB, of Wilmington, inthe county of New Hanover, and 'in the State 'of North Carolina, have invented a new and useful and I do hereby declare that the' following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon. .1

This invention relates to an improvement in distillof turpentine, and consists in an apparatus for applying superheated steam' to extract and expel the spirits of tnrpentine and rosin from crude turpen- `tine and pine-wood.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use .my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Figure 1 represents a vertical section of a still with my improvements attached, taken in line :v-z, iig. 2.` Figure 2, a horizontal section, inline y-y, iig. 1. Similar ,letters of reference denote corresponding A represents a still', made of copper or galvanized iron of ordinary thickness. Its shape is. that of the common apparatus for distilling spirits of turpentine.

B is a worm, connected by a cap-pipe, O, as usual,

Y and to'be employed in` the ordinary manner for condensing the vapor passing over from the still.

The bottom of the still and its lower part, upto about one-sixth of its height, are made of-stouter maf terial than its upper part and top.

-D is a wrought-iron jacket, placed over the lower end of the still, and extending up to about one-sixth of its height, where it is, by a flange, riveted, steamtight, to the still.

-With this still. the jacket forms a steam-chest, there being a space between their respective bottoms as welhas between theirsides;

E is a globe valve, connecting the steam-chest, by the pipes n n, with the superheating attachmentof a boiler.A

E' is the exit-cock for or water from the chest, time to time. Y

F is another globe valve, attachedto the still just above the jacket, or chest, connecting the steam-'pipes n n with a pipe, G; this pipe is inside ofthe still, running down its side tonear the bottom, and then extending around four-iifths of its circumference.

This pipe G is perforated on its under side, the holes being one-eighth of an inch in diameter; its end is closed, but has one perforation. At a point half way down the still, on the inside, a worm, I I, of copper or galvanized iron pipes, commenees, a d is wound around and down the inside of the stilLto near where the jacket or chest commences.

letting oil condensed steam as may be necessary from The upper end of this worm is connected, by the globe valve H, with the steam-pipes n n, and has, at its lower end, the exit-cock H', for letting ol vthe condensed steam or water.

K is a pipe with a gate for the exit of rosin. It is attached to the still at the lowest point, either on the bottom, as in the drawings, or on the side, as indicated by the red lines in fig. 1.

The operation is as follows:

The still is charged with. crude turpentine, or short pieces of pine-wood containing rosin, when, being all closed, a jet of superheated steam is admitted through the pipeG into the still, and superheated steam is also admitted into the jacket, or 4chest D and the worm I I.

The contents of the still are thus acted upon by the superheated steam directly, and the heat radiated from the chest and the worm until the spirits of in, and in avolatile or gaseous form passes olf through the cap-pipe C to the worm B, to be condensed in the usual way, while the resinous matter meltsand gathers at the bottom of the still, to be drawn o at the end of the distillation, throgh the pipe K.

When the superlxeated steam condenses in the jacket and worm, it is discharged by opening the stop-cocks H' and E.

As it is necessary to have a high heat quickly, at certain stages of the distillation, I propose to use superheated steam, as the safest and surest vmeans of meeting this requirement.

The advantages of the side coil are, that by it we charge, thus expediting the operation and rendering it possible to carry on distillation at a much lower degree of heat than by the usual mode, and thus secure the spirits of turpentine whiter and freer from resinous matter, and the resin uncolored by overheat, and therefore `of a superior quality.

This arrangement of the' coil of pipes possesses the practical advantage, proven by experience, over other combinations, that it leaves the interior of fthe still suiciently open to prevent clogging of material among the pipes, which would result in an imperfect distillation of the mass, besides rendering the still unfit, temporarily, for further use. Itis a fact well known to practical distillers of crude turpentine that when i t is disposed to boil over and find exit through the condensing-worm, thereby involving loss, delay, and even danger, a sudden increase of heat will prevent this tendency to overflow.

This end is partially accomplished by the side coil of pipes, and is secured by the use of superheated steam, `wheieby we obtain an increased heat with great rapidity without increase of pressure.

Ordinary steam for this result has been proven, by

`tnrpentine contained therein is separated from therosequalize and regulate the heat throughout the entire experiment, useless under such great pressure aa Ywould practically exclude its use.

What I claim as my inventicmend desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The application of superheated steam to the dictiliation of spirits of turpeutine, as herein described.

2. The perforated pipe G, in combination with the coil I I, for the purpose of diffusing the superheated steam through the charge, as Bet forth.

8. The coil of pipe, arranged around the sides of 'the still, substantially as described and for the pur- Vposse set forth.

4. The steam-jacket, in combination with the st ill, ae and for the purpose described..

f'lhe above specification signed by me, this y day o 18 v 4 ROBT. w. LAMB. Witnesses:

F. C. Soms,

CHARLES Emmen. 

